Medicare scam warning issued

Iowa?s Senior Medicare Patrol has issued a warning that scammers posing as Medicare officials are phoning Iowa?s seniors and attempting to visit them in their homes.

Scammers are trying to obtain personal information to commit financial fraud. Their hook is to convince the potential victim they have new and critical information about their Medicare benefits.

Deb Yankey, state coordinator for Iowa Senior Medicare Patrol, advised, ?Watch out for a caller who says they want to bring details about a new Medicare Summary Notice or deliver a new Medicare card to you. Medicare officials do not phone seniors to discuss changes, and they do not visit your home. It?s shrewd to be rude ? hang up the phone and don?t open your door to a stranger.?

Scammers have discovered Medicare will be sending a redesigned ?Medicare Summary Notice,? which is the explanation of benefits sent to persons on Medicare for all services or supplies billed to Medicare.  Scammers typically use the occurrence of a change in a government program to design new fraud schemes. Iowans will begin to see the new Medicare notices in their mail in the next several months.

Iowans who receive this type of call are asked to report it to Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-423-2449. Anyone who gives out his or her bank information to a person who might be a scammer, should immediately call the bank and local law enforcement.

Staff and trained volunteers are available to conduct free community programs to help Iowans get acquainted with the new notices and be alert to potential Medicare fraud or identity theft. For information, call Seneca Area Agency on Aging at 800-642-6522.